


Let There Be Cake

by Neroli66



Category: Firefly
Genre: Gen, Rayne-ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-10-24
Updated: 2005-10-24
Packaged: 2019-09-15 14:44:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16935198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neroli66/pseuds/Neroli66
Summary: Jayne sulked in his bunk and thought about heading up to the mess. He was in a foul mood, not a one of the crew had remembered his birthday. Not a peep about it all day, not even from Kaylee. She’d gone all out of her way to make the gorram Doc a cake for his birthday and couldn’t even bother to give him a smile on his.





	Let There Be Cake

**Author's Note:**

> For silk1, because she wanted Jayne and frosting on the Jaynegang one night.

Jayne sulked in his bunk and thought about heading up to the mess. He was in a foul mood, not a one of the crew had remembered his birthday. Not a peep about it all day, not even from Kaylee. She’d gone all out of her way to make the gorram Doc a cake for his birthday and couldn’t even bother to give him a smile on his.

Ruttin’ crew. And after all Mal’s posturing about crew being like family. He’d known it was all an act. Well, he didn’t need them, he’d just make himself his own cake and see if he let any of them have any. Course, he didn’t have the skill with making that protein go se into something edible that Kaylee and the Preacher had.

They hadn’t even invited him along on their little trip into town. Mal’d just given him that stern look and reminded him it was his turn to watch the ship. Would serve Mal right if he went into town anyways and got drunk for his birthday. He could get himself a whore too. Who knows, maybe he’d run into some of the rest of the crew and they’d see him having himself a fine old time without them. Show them he don’t need them around to celebrate. And maybe Mal would lock him off the ship for leaving it untended.

He hadn’t even gotten his usual letter from Ma. The one person he could count on remembering and nothing in the post the last two stops they’d made. She always sent it out early to be sure he got it in time, most times he ran into it about a week before hand. But not this year, this year it looked to be late. Way things was going she’d probably forgotten too.

With a disgusted snort, Jayne heaved himself off the bed and climbed up out of his bunk. Well, since he was stuck here till the others got back he might as well see if he could find Kaylee’s stash of engine-fermented wine. It was about time he checked to make sure everything was in order anyway. He’d locked everything up tight after the others and gone straight to his bunk to avoid the emptiness.

He was about to step down into the mess when a faint rustle alerted him that he was not alone on the ship. Pulling out his knife, he eased next to the bulkhead. Just what he needed, a reason for Mal to kill him on his birthday. Taking a silent breath to calm himself, he slid quickly into the darkened mess hall hoping the brief moment that his bulk would be visible would go unnoticed by whoever was inside.

Jayne stepped sideways off the stairs to get out of the doorway before he could be spotted and landed with all his weight on a foot. The Doc’s yelp of pain sent Jayne reaching for the lights with the hand that wasn’t holding Binky against Simon’s neck.

“What the gorram hell…” Jayne’s angry tirade was cut short by the rest of the crew yelling “Surprise” behind him. He turned his head and stared in shock at the crew arrayed around the table, a huge chocolate cake sitting in the middle of it. Book was leaning over it to light the candles on top.

“Perhaps you’d consider letting the Doc go and come blow these candles out so we can eat ‘fore it gets to be your next birthday.” Mal said with an amused grin.

“Uh, yeah…sure thing,” Jayne replied, still stunned at the surprise party. He pulled the knife away from Simon’s throat, noticing with annoyance that the Doc immediately reached up and made sure he hadn’t broken any skin, like he wasn’t skilled enough not to draw blood unless he wanted too. Maybe he should have cut him up a bit, might teach him not to go skulking about in the dark.

Jayne felt something moist hit his arm with a soft plop as he turned to head to the table. He glanced down to see a dark blob of chocolate resting there.

“Hey,” he protested, looking up to meet River’s mischievous eyes. She was standing next to the cake, shamelessly licking frosting off her fingers. Jayne scooped the frosting off his arm and stalked over to River with only a brief thought to how she’d managed to toss it in the first place.

“That’s my gorram cake,” he growled at her, reaching up to smear the frosting into her hair. River ducked out of the way with a giggle and Jayne lunged after her before she could escape. Holding onto the wiggling and squealing girl with one arm, he deliberately wiped the frosting off on her nose instead.

“Children,” Mal bellowed, glaring at both of them.

“Sorry Mal,” Jayne muttered sullenly as he let River go, but she grabbed the front of his shirt and wiped her nose with it before she stepped away and beamed up at him. Gorram girl, now he was gonna have to do laundry before he could wear this shirt again.

“The candles?” Kaylee prompted eagerly before Jayne could retaliate. He shot a glare at River and moved back to the table, ignoring the giggle behind him. Everyone else was seated by the time Jayne and River got back to the table. Jayne paused for a moment as he noticed the two seats left were the one opposite Mal and the one next to it, which River slid into gracefully before he could.

Jayne had never sat in the chair across from Mal before. Not during mealtimes least ways. The heads of the house sat in those seats, that’s how it always was at home. He sat down awkwardly as everyone stared up at him.

“Don’t forget to make a wish,“ Kaylee said as she gently pushed the cake down closer so he could blow out the candles.

Jayne let his gaze drift around the table, suddenly wanting to set this moment in his memory. Book’s calm and amused expression. Wash grinning easily back at him before looking at the cake meaningfully; Zoe rolling her eyes slightly at her husband before they met his. Mal looking across at him almost proudly in spite of the empty hole even Jayne could sense next to him. Simon’s slightly wary smile; Kaylee bouncing slightly in excitement next to him. River smiling at him serenely as she discreetly brushed her hand across a plain white envelope, he could just make out Ma’s handwriting on it.

With a feeling of peace, Jayne leaned forward, made his wish and blew out the candles.


End file.
